The Benefits of Cocoa with Cinnamon
by CandyApple75
Summary: Mary Margaret always drinks her cocoa with cinnamon and David just doesn't understand why. Season 1 Snowing fluff. One-shot


**I got this request a while back and I finally got around to doing it. This is cute, fluffy, pre-Curse-breaking Snowing fluff. Huge thank you to **tonguemarksonmymirror **who gave me the idea, betaed it and came up with the word cinnacocoa. Enjoy and pretty please review. :)**

* * *

Spring was fast approaching in Storybrooke. The trees were budding, the flowers were sprouting, the birds were chirping and there was an overall feeling of warmth and new beginnings in the air. Well, except for one chilly, rainy Friday afternoon.

Mary Margaret Blanchard pulled her coat a little tighter around herself as she walked down the sidewalk. Emma and Henry were at the movies, and that meant that the apartment would be completely empty for a few more hours. That meant that she could grade papers in peace.

Then again, it was Friday. Mary Margaret made up her mind and she let a smile creep across her lips as she opened the door to Granny's. The little bell above the door announced her arrival and Ruby came right over.

"Hey, MM," Ruby greeted. She took in her friend's damp hair and tired face. "Let me guess. You want a hot cocoa with whipped cream and cinnamon?"

"Thanks, Ruby," Mary Margaret said. The waitress nodded and went back towards the kitchen. Mary Margaret sank down onto a seat near the counter. Her bag fell to the floor with a loud thump. The diner was nearly empty with only a few other people eating or chatting.

The bell jingled again and Mary Margaret turned to see David Nolan approaching the counter.

"David," she said. Her face lit up with a genuine smile. "I didn't expect to see you here."

"I didn't actually expect to be here," David replied. "But my shift ended early and I thought I'd come get something to warm me up." He sat down in the seat next to her.

"Here's your cinnacocoa," Ruby said with a grin. "Came up with the name myself." She set the mug in front of Mary Margaret.

"I like it." Mary Margaret brought the mug close to her face and breathed in the delicious scent. "Thanks."

"No problem. David, what can I get for you?"

David glanced at Mary Margaret and then back at Ruby. "I'll have a coffee and whatever it is that she's having."

"Cool. Be right back," Ruby said.

"You're getting a cinnamon cocoa?" Mary Margaret asked. She set down her mug and looked at David. "I thought you didn't like cinnamon."

"I don't, but maybe I'll like it better with the hot chocolate."

Mary Margaret sipped her drink and pulled her mug away from her lip to reveal a whipped cream mustache dotted with flecks of cinnamon. David smiled and she licked it off.

Ruby picked that moment to come back out of the kitchen with two mugs in her hand. She set them down in front of David and shot Mary Margaret a sidelong smirk. "Enjoy."

"Thank you, Ruby," David said. The waitress nodded and then headed off to wipe down one of the tables. David picked up his cocoa, but he noticed Mary Margaret smiling next to him. "Why are you smiling like that?"

"No reason," she said quickly. "Try it."

David sniffed the mug experimentally and stared questioningly at the schoolteacher.

"Drink it," Mary Margaret urged. David sighed and took a swig of the hot drink. The instant he swallowed, his face twisted into a grimace and he slammed the mug back onto the counter.

Mary Margaret took a sip of her own cocoa and giggled. "You don't like it?"

"It's horrible!" David exclaimed. "How do you drink that stuff?"

"It's delicious!" Mary Margaret replied. "It tastes like Thanksgiving and it smells so good."

"It's gross," David said again.

"It's good for you though."

"Really? How?"

"Well, cinnamon can help to lower your bad cholesterol and it had an anti-clotting effect on the blood."

"Are you serious?" asked David. "That sounds like one of those myths that parents tell their kids to get them to eat something gross."

"I'm serious," Mary Margaret said. "Plus the smell is good for boosting your memory, it can help to relieve headaches and migraines, and it stabilizes your blood sugar which is great for weight loss."

"Are you calling me fat?" David asked. Mary Margaret giggled.

"Well…"

"Hey. I was in a coma for years. I have a legitimate excuse."

"I guess you do. Now are you willing to give cinnacocoa another shot?"

"No way. That stuff is vile," David said. He took a big sip of his coffee. "This stuff is more my style."

"Suit yourself then." Mary Margaret licked the last of the whipped cream off her now lukewarm cocoa. "I'll just be here improving my memory, avoiding migraines, lowering my bad cholesterol, avoiding blood clots and enjoying the delicious taste of cinnamon and chocolate."

"You make it sound so easy," David teased.

"It's good!" Mary Margaret insisted. "And Emma likes it too so I'm not the only one."

"Then maybe you're drinking something different because this is disgusting."

"Let me see." Mary Margaret grabbed David's mug and took a hesitant sip out of the clean side. The moment the warm liquid touched her tongue, she almost spat it back out. "That isn't cinnamon!" she exclaimed. "What is this?"

"Oh my gosh, David." Ruby came rushing back over to the pair with another mug in her hand. "I'm so sorry! I thought I was putting cinnamon in it, but I just realized that it was red pepper flakes. I can't believe it! I don't even know how I was so stupid! This one's cinnamon, I'm sure of it."

The waitress was redder than her namesake as she set down the new mug and pulled the bad cocoa back into the kitchen. "It's on the house."

David smiled. "Don't worry about it, Ruby. Mistakes happen." He took a sip of his coffee.

Ruby apologized once again and then disappeared into the kitchen.

"So," Mary Margaret said. "Are you ready to _actually _try cinnacocoa? It's really good."

"I don't know. Maybe I'll hold off until next time."

"Come on. After cocoa with red pepper flakes, this can only be an improvement, right?" Mary Margaret asked. "Try it."

David sniffed the new mug. It certainly smelled different in a good way. He made the mistake of looking into Mary Margaret's pleading eyes. He couldn't refuse her. He sighed and took a sip.

Mary Margaret watched David's face as he drank. It didn't twist as before. Instead he looked to be almost…enjoying it. "What do you think?" she prompted. "Is it good?"

"It's okay," David conceded.

"Just okay?" asked Mary Margaret.

"Fine. It's delicious. Is that what you wanted to hear?"

Mary Margaret just smiled in an uncharacteristically mischievous manner. "Welcome to the dark side."

David laughed and that soon started Mary Margaret laughing as well. "I told you, didn't I?" she asked. "You didn't believe me."

"I didn't. But now I think I have to go stock up on cinnamon before Kathryn gets home."

At the mention of Kathryn's name, Mary Margaret's smile shrank a little bit. "Isn't she getting out of work soon?"

David took the hint. "She is. I should probably go. Do you want to meet up at the bridge tomorrow? We can have a picnic."

"Sounds good," Mary Margaret said. "I should get going too. I have papers I should grade before Emma gets home. See you tomorrow." She tossed a few crumpled bills onto the counter to cover her drink, slipped her bag back onto her shoulder and headed outside.

Not a minute later, she heard David call out, "Mary Margaret, wait."

She turned around and David jogged up to her. "You forgot something."

"I don't think I forgot anything."

"That's where you're wrong. You forgot to say goodbye."

"No I didn't. We said…" She was cut off when David pulled her close and pressed his lips to hers. The kiss lasted only a few seconds, but it was magic.

"You taste like cinnamon," Mary Margaret said with a smile.

"So do you. In fact, I think I could get used to it."

"I'll see you tomorrow?"

David grinned widely and called back, "I'll bring the cinnamon."

* * *

Mary Margaret was all smiles when she got home. Emma and Henry were sitting on the couch watching Star Wars.

"What are you two doing home so early?" she asked.

"The movie started earlier than we thought so we just decided to watch something here before Henry has to be home," Emma explained. "What has you so happy?"

"Nothing."

"Come on. Spill. What happened?"

"Let's just say that cinnamon is good for a lot more than you might think."


End file.
